The GOP crush on Andrew Cuomo

12/5/12 11:13 AM EST

A Siena College survey released Wednesday reports some eye-catching polling numbers for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

With a 72 percent favorable rating, a re-elect number at 62 percent and 60 percent of New Yorkers rating his job performance as either excellent or good, the first-term Democrat is one of the most popular governors in the nation.

Yet it’s his performance among Republicans that stands out: the crosstabs reveal his favorable rating is at 66 percent and his re-elect among GOP voters is 49-39. While more Republicans say his job performance is fair or poor than excellent or good (47-51), a 47 percent approval rating among the opposing party is nothing to be ashamed of.

The Siena poll, conducted Nov. 26-29, reflects a Hurricane Sandy bump but Cuomo’s numbers among Republicans have been consistently high, a reflection of his centrist approach.

The only sour note for Cuomo in the poll is support for a presidential bid: A plurality of Democrats and a slight majority among Republicans prefer that he not run for president.

The question, however, was preceded by a loaded query – would you like to see Hillary Clinton run for president in 2016?

Even there, Cuomo’s GOP support rises to the surface. While 70 percent of New York Republicans don’t want Clinton to seek the presidency, just 52 percent feel the same way about Cuomo.